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Isolationists

1.
Isolationists????
• Although opponents characterized American
foreign policy during the 1920’s as isolationist,
the United States in fact played a more active
role than at almost any other time in its
history up to that point.
• --expand the nation’s influence abroad
• --preserve the widest possible scope for
American freedom of action

2.
• The US was determined to be a major power
in the world
• To extend its trade
• To influence other nations in ways Americans
believed would be beneficial
• but not limit its freedom—no League of
Nations, World Court—operate powerfully
and alone

3.
Ways the US was Active
• Washington Conference 1921-US, Britain and
Japan—proposed a dramatic reduction in the
fleets of all 3 nations
• Five-Power Pact 1922- an attempt to protect
the peace and the economic interest of the US
• Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928- 60 nations signed
an agreement to outlaw war as an instrument
of national policy (no enforcement)

4.
Debt Crisis
• Circular Loans-overall the 1920’s saw the
growing influence of American banks and
corporations throughout Europe and Latin
America

5.
US Faced a Choice
• Adopt a more energetic form of
internationalism --firmer and more
meaningful association with other nations
• Or
• It could resort to nationalism and rely on it
own devices for dealing with its and the
world’s problems
• For the next 6 years it would experiment with
elements of both approaches

6.
Isolationism and Internationalism
• Upon taking office FDR in 1933 knew the US
could not remain long isolated from world
affairs—he was an internationalist at heart.

7.
After England and France
declared war on
Germany, President Roosevelt
declared the United States
neutral. Yet he was
determined to help the 2
countries in their fight against
Hitler.

8.
Neutrality Act of 1939
• Congress was mirroring public pressure during
the growing international instability of the
1930’s by passing a series of Neutrality Acts of
1935,1936, and 1937—made it illegal for
Americans to sell arms to any country at war
• Neutrality Act of 1939—warring nations could
buy weapons from the US only if they paid
cash and carried the arms on their own ships.

9.
America First Committee
• After the fall of France, public opinion did shift
but dissenters existed and had strong people
representing them—Robert Wood (former
president of Sears and Roebuck), Charles
Lindbergh, a large portion of the Republican
Party—fringe groups who were Nazi
sympathizers and anti-semetics

10.
The Election of 1940
• No President had ever run for 3 terms before
but FDR decided to. He steered a careful
course between neutrality and intervention
but in the end, voters re elected him in a wide
margin, preferring to stick with a president
they knew during this crisis period.

11.
Wendell Willkie
• The Republican party nominated someone
who had no political experience, but was
charming and announced his intentions to
keep America out of the war.
• “Better a 3rd term, than a 3rd rater”
• FDR received 55% of the vote

12.
The Lend-Lease Act
• FDR warned that if Britain fell, an “unholy
alliance” would keep trying to conquer the
world, and then, “all of us in all the Americas
would be living at the point of a gun”. FDR
argued that the US should become the “great
arsenal of democracy”.
• This act sent weapons to Britain if Britain
promised to return or pay rent for them after
the war.

13.
Four Freedoms Speech
• January -1941 ; speech by FDR that outlined
the four principles of freedom (speech,
religion, from want, and from fear) This
helped inspire Americans into patriotism. ; in
turn inspired Americans into pro war
sentiments

14.
Atlantic Charter
• A secret maritime meeting between President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt and UK prime minister
Winston Churchill-to discuss strategies if the US
declared war on Germany.
• “certain common principles” “better future for
the world” “final destruction of the Nazi tyranny”
• FDR believed the American people would not
support a decision to enter the war unless
directly attacked

15.
Japan Attacks the United States
• America Embargoes Japan: Japan depended
on the US for many key materials-iron, steel
and oil, 80% of Japan’s oil came from the US.
But the Japanese were threatening the British
territories in the Pacific so:
• --FDR first blocked the sale of airplane fuel
and iron to Japan
• He started to send aid to China

16.
• Japanese were furious—they positioned
themselves to attack Hong Kong and
Singapore.
• FDR then froze all Japanese assets in the US
and reduced the amount of oil being shipped
to Japan.

17.
FDR sent Gen. Douglas MacArthur to
the Philippines to build up America
defenses there.

18.
• FDR made it clear he would lift the oil
embargo if Japan withdrew from Indochina
and made peace with China. With the war
with China in jeopardy because of a lack of oil
and other resources, the Japanese military
began making plans to attack the resource rich
British and Dutch colonies in southeast Asia.
Also seize the Philippines and attack the
American fleet at Pearl Harbor.

19.
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
• While Japanese officials were in Washington
negotiating in good faith, they were planning
an attack at Pearl Harbor. US knew an attack
was coming just not sure where. Although
some clues pointed to Hawaii most officials
doubted it because it was too long a distance.